So this is just a little scary

Gordon Campbell on the retrospective (someone wake big bruv over at The Standard) surveillance bill.

One can only conclude that neither the SIS nor the Police have much respect for the law. There seems to be no accountability when they break the law in such cases, or misinterpret it, or screw up. Perhaps this is because they know they can hold the politicians hostage, and get the law changed after the fact.

Once you’ve read it y’all are welcome to join me in my bunker. First week’s homework, chapters 1-6 of 1984. There may be a quiz.*

~

*On typing this I realise I don’t have a household copy of 1984. Thankfully going out to buy one won’t have disturbing consequences. Yet.

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4 comments

It feels very muchly like it’s almost in breach of Article 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.”

Sure, it prevents them from changing the law to make the accused guilty, but in spirit it should prevent the govt from changing the rules to make illegal police activity legal.

I can hear Greg O’Connor now: “Human rights? What about the human rights of police to do whatever the fuck they want and threaten you with magical increases in gang violence and murder if they’re limited by trifling things like the law???”

First of all I LOVE your blog, been reading it for over a year now, think it’s the best.
Everytime this is mentioned and they talk about how all those criminals are going to be set free, I yell at the radio they haven’t been convicted of the crime yet. It makes me so incredibly mad.
I read 1984 when I was 14 then my family suggested I read The Handmaid’s tale so I did I think they did it for amusement purposes I didn’t want to leave my room for a week because I was so worried that the two realities were going to happen. It also gave me a life long aversion to fundamental Christianity.
HGI.